This invention relates generally to dispensing apparatus and, more particularly, to gravity dispensing bin apparatus in which bulk material products supplied through the upper end of the bin moves under gravity to a lower dispensing opening as product continues to be dispensed.
Gravity dispensing bins for dispensing bulk products are well known. For example, bins of this type are used for dispensing bulk products as diverse as hardware, such as nuts and bolts, food, such as nut and candy mixes, as well as many other types of products. Generally, the bin comprises an enclosure having an opening at its upper end through which the product is supplied into the bin to a level below the filling opening, and an opening at its lower end through which product situated in the bottom of the bin may be dispensed. As product is removed from the bottom of the bin through the lower dispensing opening, product remaining within the bin moves downwardly under gravity to the bottom of the bin to provide new product ready for dispensing. The bins are often formed with downwardly converging inner walls which form a chute to meter the downward flow of material within the bin.
It has been conventional to construct gravity dispensing bins as free-standing units for placement on horizontal shelves or counters, such as in a supermarket, hardware store or the like. Several bins may thus be situated next to each other on a single shelf. Where space is available on shelves which are situated one above the other, the bins may also be arranged in vertical alignment on the shelves.
It is of course desirable to be able to situate a plurality of bins in proximity to each other since different types or sizes of the same product should be made available in the same general area. However, counter or shelf space is not always available for free standing bins of the type described above to permit the most efficient arrangement of such bins.
A unitary gravity dispensing bin system is available wherein a pair of bins are integrally formed one above the other. The unitary system is also adapted to be located on a shelf or counter thereby limiting the flexibility of the system.
Another problem common to conventional gravity bin arrangements arises when the bins are located vertically above one another, either on respective shelves or in the form of an integral unitary structure. In particular, in such arrangements, it is not often possible to easily fill at least a lower one of the bins through a filling opening provided in the top side of the bin since in the case of free-standing bin arrangements the next upper adjacent shelf often is situated so close to the top of the bin as to prevent filling the bin through an opening in its top side. Where the filling opening is so provided, the bin must be removed from the shelf to be filled. On the other hand, in the case where a pair of bins are formed as a unitary construction, the bottom of the upper bin in effect forms the top of and closes the top side of the lower bin.
For these reasons, the filling opening of conventional gravity dispensing bins is often formed in the upper region of the front wall of the bin. Indeed, it is not uncommon for the filling opening to be defined by the absence of the portion of the front wall of the bin extending from the top of the bin to substantially the mid-height of the bin. However, this is disadvantageous since the bin of course can be filled only to the lower edge of the filling opening so that when the filling opening is provided in the front side of the bin, the bin can only be filled to a level of about one-half its height. This in turn results in the supply of product contained within the bin becoming exhausted on a relatively frequent basis.